Masquerade

Chapter Forty-six

 

  The condemnation was held in one of the ancient rooms deep inside the Ducal Palace and began with a formal pronouncement of the sentence. Mimi Force was led to the front of the room in shackles. A black robe had been placed on her shoulders, and her blond hair was covered by its hood.

  The Conclave of Elders stood in a semicircle around her. The Chief Warden had finished describing the process when Lawrence halted the proceedings.

  "As Regis, I have cause to call for a blood trial to refute or confirm the findings in the Conclave session. "

  "Blood trial?" Edmund Oelrich, the Chief Warden, asked. "But surely, there is no way. Allegra is still asleep, is she not?"

  Charles Force, who was seated in the front next to his son, leaped up. "I second the motion for the blood trial. "

  "Lawrence, is this wise? What are you talking about?" Nan Cutler asked.

  "Allegra's daughter, Schuyler Van Alen, has volunteered to perform the ritual. " Lawrence called for Schuyler to come forward.

  "The half-blood?" Forsyth Llewellyn exclaimed. "I oppose this. How do we know she is worthy?"

  "Allegra's daughter?" another Elder asked.

  "She is gifted with powers far beyond the norm, and I am confident she will be able to carry out this task. "

  The Conclave murmured, and a stay of execution was granted while they convened on this new development in another room. A few hours later, the Conclave returned. Finally, the Chief Warden spoke.

  "The blood trial will be borne out. "

  Mimi and Schuyler were led to a small cell next to the courtroom. Lawrence patted Schuyler on the back. "Be safe, and remember what I told you. "

  When they were alone, Mimi pulled the hood off her head and looked at Schuyler with distaste. "You. "

  "Me. "

  "I don't need you. I'd rather die. "

  "Would you? Because that's certainly the other option," Schuyler snapped.

  Mimi flushed. "My brother put you up to this, didn't he?"

  "Yes. It's him you'll have to thank for your life, if indeed you are proved innocent," Schuyler replied.

  Mimi crossed her arms and studied her cuticles. She rolled her eyes. "Fine. Let's just get this over with. "

  Mimi lifted her chin and closed her eyes. Schuyler stood on her tiptoes and put her mouth on Mimi's neck. She sank her fangs in. . . and just as with Oliver, she was transported into the past. . . seeing what was inside Mimi's memories. . . flying back to the night of the attack.

  The dark underground of the Repository. Mimi and Kingsley laughing over the book. Standing inside the pentagram, the candle flickering and casting their shadows against the stone walls.

  Mimi slicing her wrist, sending the blood over the flame and calling the words.

  But then. . . nothing happened.

  Mimi had fainted, but the spell had not worked.

  She had been unable to summon the hatred needed to bring out the Silver Blood.

  But Mimi had not been rendered unconscious, just dis- oriented. She had witnessed the events that unfolded next, but the memory of it remained in her subconscious, which is why she had not been able to recall it to prove her innocence. Now, through the blood trial, Schuyler was able to see what had really happened.

  Kingsley cursed and picked up the knife. He sliced his wrist and called out the summons in a strong, deep voice.

  There was a rip in the ground: the earthquake, the flame that shot out. Smoke filled the air, and suddenly there was a hulking dark mass going straight for Bliss Llewellyn and then killing Priscilla DuPont.

  In the resulting confusion, Kingsley helped Mimi stand, and put a hand on her shoulder.

  Schuyler felt a cold pressing on the back of her neck just as Mimi had experienced.

  Then Kingsley pushed Mimi out of the alcove and ran to the Repository, pretending to be pinned by a bookcase.

  It was Kingsley all along.

  Schuyler gurgled, feeding on Mimi's blood. She knew she should stop, but she couldn't. She wanted to see, wanted to devour all of Mimi's memories. She saw something else:the night of the Four Hundred Ball. The after-party at the Angel Orensanz Foundation. Jack Force, putting on the black mask worn by the boy who had kissed her that evening.

  So it had been Jack who kissed her after all.

  The realization made her lose her hold on Mimi, and she stepped away, disengaging her fangs. The call of the blood had been strong she had been tempted to take Mimi to full consumption, to become Mimi, to absorb all her memories and her being. But the shock of seeing Jack in the mask had saved her from becoming Abomination.

  Schuyler staggered against the wall, feeling faint and delirious, while Mimi swooned and fell onto the nearest chair.

  When she found her bearings, Schuyler returned to address the Conclave.

  "Mimi is innocent," she said, and just as Lawrence had shown her, she held their minds in her own and showed them what she had seen in the blood memory, projecting the vision of Kingsley Martin calling up the Silver Blood to everyone in the room.